Troubleshooting is an art form. Trying to find out why a system, mechanical, electrical, structural or otherwise, isn't working properly and what, specifically, is causing the problem is a skill. Last winter I called my HVAC guy to troubleshoot my smart-controller driven, high efficiency gas furnace. The guy was truly amazing in his troubleshooting skills. In a few short minutes, by asking me several quick questions over the phone, this experienced tradesman solved the problem I was experiencing.

There are millions of expert troubleshooters...problem solvers....throughout America and the world. These folks examine a situation, diagnose what the problem is, and then propose the proper solution.

The Fox News network exists to advance the interests of America's rich. As such, Fox has joined itself at the hip with the political party who only represents the interests of those same rich....the Republican Party.

Over the last three years it's been increasingly more difficult for the disinformers at Fox to make a convincing argument about why taxes should not be raised on the top 1%. Income, capital gains and dividend tax rates are currently at 60 year lows and the top 1% are the only folks over the last 20 years who have seen their income and wealth skyrocket.

This year, 22 state legislatures, all controlled by conservatives, have introduced some form of voter ID law in their states. There is no evidence in any of these states that voter fraud is a problem. But like the far right's insistence that Sharia law is a threat to the states, there doesn't have to be any reality-based evidence that a problem exists for today's version of conservatives to act to "fix" the problem.

Now, I suppose I don't blame Republicans for doing everything they can to cheat when it comes to voting. The Republican Party, with their increasingly narrow view of what makes America, America....plus the GOP's doubling down for the sake of the (mostly white) rich and powerful....is quickly becoming a fringe political party which has nothing to offer average working class Americans.

I remember listening last week to Fox radio while driving in my car. The topic at the time was how weak President Obama was for changing the date of his speech to a Joint Session from Wednesday evening, where it conflicted with NBC's GOP candidates debate, to Thursday evening where Obama's speech would be just before the opening game of the NFL season.

Later, when it was announced that Obama's speech to a Joint Session would begin at 7PM, just prior to the NFL game on Thursday evening, I heard Rush Limbaugh blabber on about how weak Obama was because the popularity of the NFL had forced the unpopular Obama to move his speech time to the non-primetime of 7PM.

The shock took place on 9-11-2001. The WTF-just-happened kind of shock. The horrible spectacle of it all shock. The chaos. The shock of mass murder. That's what 9-11 was all about. The shock of it all. 9-11 will always be commemorated, and rightly so to a certain extent, for the sake of victims and victims families, the bravery displayed by many, and how we came together as a nation on 9-11. However, what happened to all of us on 9-11-2001 was a case of collective shock.

As much as the idea of collectivism is despised by many on the right, I think everyone would agree that what we felt on 9-11 was collective shock. We were united in that feeling immediately after the planes struck. One nation, one people, indivisible.

Nothing surprising in President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress last evening. It was a good speech, presenting a sensible and balanced medium range economic stimulus program for the nation. More importantly, Obama's speech was delivered with spirit and intensity.

Obama's "America Jobs Act" would cost approximately $450 billion and would include an extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment compensation, a $4000 tax credit per new employee for businesses who hire new workers and/or veterans, infrastructure funding, and money to state governments.

There are three notable political events this week. Tonight is the first Republican presidential candidates' debate since the new Tea Party extremist, Texas Governor Rick Perry, entered the race. Look for Villagers in the media....no matter how poorly Praying Perry performs tonight....to gush uncontrollably over the gunslinging Texan.

Tomorrow night will be President Obama's address to Congress. Because Obama is in full campaign mode now, I actually expect him to say all the right things....Republicans are hopelessly obstructionistic, and GOP "ideas" to fix the nation's economic woes have already proven to be utter failures.

It's been obvious for a long time that our national economic problem is being exacerbated by lack of demand for goods and services. This lack of demand is not because of lack of confidence. It is because of lack of jobs. Obviously, when working Americans lose their jobs, they lose a good deal of their buying power. When millions of Americans lose significant purchasing power all within a short period of time, the impact on demand is significant. That's where we are right now.

Major U.S. corporations, astute enough to protect their own financial interests, shed workers by the tens of thousands immediately when the Banksters evil deeds began to unfurl before our very eyes. Millions of American workers lost their jobs in just a few short months at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009.

I give credit to the Akron Beacon Journal for including this story in today's paper.

With an all volunteer military and a compromised and corrupt national media, Americans don't often hear the truth about our numerous military adventures in foreign lands. I guess it's just easier that way. If Americans were kept informed about our many wars, there probably wouldn't be enough time to cover Christine O'Donnell's and Sarah Palin's on again, off again, invitation to speak at yet another gathering of the extremely unpopular Tea Party nihilists.